Business Lessons from Wolfgang Puck

For a recent wedding anniversary, I took my wife to Spago Beverly Hills, one of Wolfgang Puck's most renowned restaurants.

We enjoyed an excellent meal and fabulous service. And right before the check came, something happened that touched us in a profound and memorable way.

It was in the context of my post last week, where I shared why all modern companies - especially those in "boring" markets - should work hard to make themselves more “business entertaining.”

The pushback I got (which was expected...:) is that most businesspeople are decidedly not entertainers.

In fact, in their sobriety, prudence, and consistency, they can be some of the most boring folks we'll ever meet (in a good way!).

Even more, many businesspeople prefer a firm divide between their professional lives and “entertainment time” - hobbies, sports, television, etc. -  which they indulge in to unwind and re-energize for the very serious business days.

For sure this is the natural rhythm, but those always-connected communication and entertainment devices that are now always on us have fundamentally blurred the lines between the professional and the personal in ways that would have been unimaginable even a few short years ago.

So as we attempt to connect with customers and prospects, we are left doing so in those snippets of time and attention between all of the “cell phone entertainment” we are consuming - and being distracted by - sunup to sundown and beyond.

Doing so requires some different and refreshed approaches, including these four:

#4. Personalize email. The reality of “ping overload” - emails, texts, app alerts, etc. - has desensitized us to pretty much anything that is electronically sent our way.

So no matter how clever and grabby our emails might be, the sad default is for them to be ignored or deleted upon receipt.

This does not mean that there is not a gigantic place for email in our customer outreach and connection efforts. It means that to rise above the noise they must truly be recipient - specific business “relevant.”

Making them so is, of course, much more work than the "Mailchimp-esque” standard fare that relentlessly fills up all of our inboxes. But we can take solace in that a) the vast majority of our competition isn’t even trying and b) can be surprisingly efficient via “client input and response” tools like online quizzes, scores, and tests.

#3. Go Negative. Cheeriness is lovely, but calling attention to the very many things that can go wrong, and the dire consequences thereof, creates emotional impact and urgency like nothing else.

A particularly apropos theme is that of "missing out" - as in, while economic conditions and business values might be at record highs, for sure they will not last forever and so the time to act is now, before darker times descend.

#2. Buy it. Tried and true but easy to overlook, especially for smaller businesses, is the power of simply buying entertainment for our prospects and customers in the form of personalized gifts, tickets to sporting events, the theater, restaurants, etc.

Better for sure to do these things with our clients, but just associating ourselves with these pleasurable and entertaining experiences is not to be underestimated.

And oh yes, so very often our customers and prospects prefer their entertainment without us there!

#1. Do Like Wolfgang Puck. So my wife and I truly enjoyed a great anniversary dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Beverly Hills.

He was and remains one of the most famous chefs and restaurateurs in the world, with over 20 high end restaurants to his name, 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and a line of food and merchandise including cookbooks, canned foods, and coffee.

We enjoyed an excellent meal and service and right before the check came an older and distinguished gentleman approached our table with a slice of cake, which was lighted, and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Turo - happy anniversary and thank you for sharing it with us tonight. Have a wonderful evening.”

Yes it was Wolfgang himself - who then made the rounds, surprising and delighting diners throughout  the restaurant.

It was a Monday night and Mr. Puck probably had been working hard and long at his various restaurants and businesses throughout the weekend.

He didn’t need to do it, and for sure he didn’t need the money.

But here was a guy that loved what he did to his bones and walked the walk and shared that love with a customer.

For sure, that is the best kind of of business entertainment.

No matter how sober, prudent, and boring any of us might be.  

Does Your Business Need to be More Entertaining?

Feel like you are just not exciting - and even boring - your customers and prospects?

Need a burst of energy, ideas, and vision to get your business unstuck?

If so, we should talk.

Complete this short questionnaire as to a few questions regarding your business’ current status, and key goals now.

And we’ll reach out with our thoughts to help you.